


Through the Ages

by c00kie



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: Angst, Childhood Friends, F/M, Growing Up Together, Romance, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-04
Updated: 2015-08-04
Packaged: 2018-04-13 00:57:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4501644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/c00kie/pseuds/c00kie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Small segments in the life of Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt</p>
            </blockquote>





	Through the Ages

8 years old: 

“Okay, Leslie, introduce yourself." 

Leslie stared out at the classroom, who all stared back, waiting for her to say something. She squared her shoulders like her mom taught her. "I’m Leslie Knope and I’m going to be president someday.”

Some of the kids laughed and she wanted to run and hide but the teacher just ushered her to her desk. She got out her pencil and paper as the teacher started the day’s lesson. As she listened, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw a boy with warm brown eyes. 

“You can’t be president." 

"Because I’m a girl?”

“No, because I’m going to be president." 

10 years old: 

"I’m going to be Egon. You can be the secretary.”

“I want to be Dr. Venkman!" 

"No, Jack is Venkman." 

"Okay, then I’ll be Ray.”

“Henry’s Ray.”

“That’s not fair. Henry’s not even here!”

“So? You can’t be Venkman or Ray. You’re a girl. I got it, you can be Zuul.”

Leslie crossed her arms and thought about it. “Okay,” she conceded. “That means I get to kick your butt." 

13: 

"I want to break up." 

Their lunch table goes quiet as Leslie drops her cinnamon roll and stares at Jack. They’ve only been going out for a week, and all they’ve really done is hold hands, but he is her first boyfriend and the rejection hurts. She doesn’t know what to say, but it turns out not to matter, because he turns away and starts talking to Ben anyway. She picks at her roll, refusing to look at anyone. 

She doesn’t see him staring at her. 

13, again: 

"Here’s your comic back.”

Ben takes it and stuffs it into his backpack. “Thanks.”

She looks at him, taking in his furrowed eyebrows and down turned lips. “What’s with you?”

“We’re going camping.”

The way he says it, Ben might as well be saying the world is coming to an end. “I’m sorry. Do you want to borrow my tent?" 

"Yeah, that’s what I need. To sleep in a pink tint. Dad would love that." 

She doesn’t know this, but as soon as the first drop of rain hits his face, he wishes he had taken her up on her offer. 

He also wishes she was there.

15: 

"How was fishing?” Leslie asks as Ben sits next to her on her front porch, placing his tackle box and fishing rod next to him. 

“Our boat nearly tipped over.”

“Nearly?”

“It was scary, okay?" 

Leslie laughs. "Okay. You wanna go see Back to the Future III?" 

"Um, I kind of promised Rebecca I’d see it with her. I’m sorry.”

She pushes down the ache of disappointment in her stomach. He’s been going out with Rebecca for almost two months, his longest so far. She doesn’t know how far they’ve gotten, but given Ben’s constant smiling it has to be further than just kissing. “No, it’s okay. She’s your girlfriend. You should see it with her." 

"Thanks,” he says, “Wanna play Mario?”

“Sure." 

16: 

He kisses her, making her feel like she’s been turned inside out. There are no words spoken as they remove each other’s clothes and fall onto her bed, it’s just a flurry of hands and lips and skin sliding against skin. It was her idea that they lose their virginity to each other, just friend helping friend, but after, as she stares at the back of his head while he sleeps, she wonders if she hasn’t just made a huge mistake.

17: 

"This is Stewart’s mom, is Leslie there?" 

17: 

Leslie runs onto the field to give Ben a hug, only to see Cindy has gotten there first. She turns and walks away. She can congratulate Ben on his victory later. 

18: 

"So, how did it go?” Leslie asks, only for Ben to slam his locker shut and look at her with such ire she wonders if she didn’t do something wrong. 

“She said no.”

"Oh no. What happened?“

"She said Brett Miller asked her, and he’s the captain of the football team. Oh and she dumped me. If that wasn’t clear.”

Leslie reaches out to put her hand on his shoulder only for him to pull away, making her feel awkward as her hand lingers in the air. “I’m sorry. You can come to prom with me and Mike?” Mike’s not her boyfriend or anything, so it shouldn’t matter if Ben comes along. 

“I just want to be alone.” She can only watch him walk away. 

18: 

“I guess congratulations are in order, Mister Mayor.”

He grins, his hair falling into his eyes as he raises his hand for a high five. “Oh hey, you want to hear something awesome?”

“Always." 

"I’m going to build a winter sports complex.”

Leslie blinks. It’s not a bad idea, but it seems a little unnecessary given they live in Northern Minnesota and people can just ice skate outside. 

“Oh. Fun.”

He grabs her hand. “Come on,” he says, pulling her, “I’ll show you the plans.”

Four months later, Ben’s cutting the ribbon and announcing that Ice Town is open for business. He poses for pictures and then walks over to her. “Thank you,” he says, hugging her, “this couldn’t have been done without you.” 

“I know,” she says, grinning back at him. “I definitely saved your butt here.”

“Don’t be cocky, Knope,” he says, only to look past her when a voice calls his name. “That’s Cindy. I’ll talk to you later.”

Leslie doesn’t watch Ben go to his off and on girlfriend. She just stares at the building and wonders if anyone will ever run for mayor and build an Ice Town for her. 

21: 

“So, how’s Indiana treating you?”

“Great! In fact, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about." 

"Yeah?” She pictures Ben on his bed in his dorm room, one arm under his head. “What’s up?”

“I’m going to stay in Indiana after I graduate.”

“You’re not coming home?" 

She doesn’t say that her home has always been Indiana. "I’ll visit.”

“Right. I gotta go. I have a lot of studying to do.” He hangs up before she can say another word. 

23: 

She’s in post break up baking mode when she hears her doorbell ring. Her roommate shouts that she’ll get it, so Leslie keeps rolling out the sugar cookie dough. 

“Um, this guy is here to see you,” Lindsey says, and Leslie looks up to see Ben, standing in her living room. Ignoring the fact she’s covered in flour, Leslie runs over and throws her arms around him. They talk at least once a week in email and instant messenger, but it’s nothing compared to the real thing. 

“What are you doing here?”

He shrugs. “I heard about the break up, and though you could use a hand with your post break up baking. What stage are you on?”

“Cookies.”

“Oh good, so you haven’t reached bread yet,” he says, peeling away. “Got anything to drink?”

“Cabinet beside the sink,” Leslie says, trying to ignore the heat in her stomach. 

“He’s cute,” Lindsey whispers in her ear, “is Dan seeing anyone?”

Leslie growls under her breath as Lindsey doesn’t wait for Leslie to answer, walking into the kitchen to flirt. “Crap on a baking sheet." 

25: 

He kisses his way down her back, hands on her hips, fingers digging into her skin. They’re both drunk and in the morning he’ll leave, but right now she’s going to pretend his kiss means something. 

27:

It’s all too easy to fall for Mark Brendanawicz.

30: 

"So, what do you think of him?” Leslie asks. Paul is probably the best boyfriend she’s had, and even though a part of him wishes he was Mark, but he’s cute and smart and he cares about her. 

“I think he’s boring.”

Leslie takes a pull of her beer. “Oh.” Paul is a little boring. But he’s nice. And Leslie needs nice right now. 

“But he’s better than that Mark guy.”

“Mark is amazing. Don’t talk shit about Mark." 

"Mark’s a jerk. The fact you can’t see that makes me wonder just how smart you are." 

"Oh fuck you, Ben,” Leslie says, standing up. “I think you should leave." 

"Fine.” He gets up off her couch and grabs his coat. “Don’t come crying to me when you get your heart broken again." 

She slams the door behind him. 

35: 

"Who’s this?” Ann asks, holding up a picture of her and Ben at graduation. 

“Um-” Leslie pauses, unsure of how to describe Ben. Is he her former best friend? Her almost ex boyfriend? The real love of her life? “It’s Ben. We grew up together." 

"He’s cute. Did you ever?”

“A few times, but it never meant anything. We kind of had a falling out a few years ago and haven’t really spoken.” She’d tried to make a unity quilt to mend their relationship, but halfway through she’d gotten the wedding invitation and so it remained unfinished. “He’s married now, so-”

Ann puts the picture down. “I’m sorry. so, where do you want to start?" 

Leslie looks around at the organized chaos that’s her living room. She really doesn’t know. 

35:

"Is this going to be a problem for you Ms. Knope?”

“That we used to be friends?” Leslie asks. “No.” 

He makes a sound of discontent and looks down at his paper. “We’ll start with personnel. What can you tell me about Jerry Gergich?" 

35:

"How’s your head?”

“Mushy.”

Ben nods. “Right. So.”

“So. How’s the wife?”

“I wouldn’t know, I’m not married. We broke up before the wedding.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

“Yeah. Let’s go back." 

35: 

They’re doing late night work on the Harvest Festival in her office. Everyone else is gone and he’s got his sleeves pushed up to his elbows. A flash of a memory passes through and she thinks about the way his arms felt wrapped around her. 

"So, state auditor.”

“It’s a job,” he says, marking something down on his paper. “I think we need to up the volunteers.”

“Okay.” She forgave Ben the minute he said okay to the Harvest Festival, but she doesn’t think he’s completely forgiven her. “Um. You were right. About Mark.”

He looks up and stares at her, making her stomach twist. “Right.”

“I’m sorry.”

He throws his calculator on the table and she jumps, slightly. “Do you even know why I was mad about Mark?”

“Because he was a jerk?”

“Because he wasn’t me. It was supposed to be me you were in love with.”

“It was you,” she says, quietly at first, but her voice raising as all the memories fuel her anger. “It was always you. You were just too stupid and hung up on Rebecca and Cindy to notice.”

He just stands up and gathers his things, saying nothing and managing to crush her all over again. 

She gets up, not to follow him, but to go into Ron’s office to get something to drink. She pours herself a glass and takes a sip, grateful for the burn as she swallows. 

“Leslie?" 

She turns around, glass still in hand. "You want one?”

He nods. “Yeah." 

He doesn’t say anything else. He doesn’t need to. 

36: 

They’re slow dancing barefoot outside Burley’s house. The grass is wet, tickling her skin and she’s a little drunk, and there are still butterflies in her stomach, but there’s also a sense of elation. Her friends are married and happy, Ben’s staying in Pawnee, she has a job she loves. Things are good. 

"Can I ask you something?” he asks, drawing shapes on her back with his finger. 

“Sure." 

"When did you get over me?" 

Leslie stares at the curled up corner of the label on his beer for a moment, then she meets his eyes, seeing nothing but warmth and love. He loves her. How did she not see it before? 

"I didn’t." 

This time, when he kisses her, she knows it’s for real.


End file.
